Our Ambassadors

Saba Vasefi

At sixteen she published her first poem and began advocating for children’s rights through her work with orphaned children. She was co-founder and director of the Art Therapy Project as an underprivileged orphanage in Iran, a Member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters and worked as a journalist for the International Campaign for Human Rights. Saba’s master’s thesis in Feminist Literary Criticism received the highest grade possible in Iran. At twenty-four she became a lecturer at the prestigious Shahid Beheshti University in Iran, but after four years was banned from teaching due to her activism against capital punishment.

Saba has made a number of internationally acclaimed documentaries with her latest film, Beyond the Father’s Shadow, the story of Australia’s first female parliamentarian, Edith Cowan, recently launched at NSW Parliament House. She has also spoken about women’s and children’s issues at the UN, Amnesty International, and at numerous universities around the world.

Since her arrival in Australia, Saba’s passion and commitment to human rights has continued.

She said it is a great honour to work alongside those who are highly experienced in human rights advocacy and respect people’s dignity.

“The dominant culture and social discourses are patriarchal, monoculture and sustain various forms of symbolic violence and systematic prejudice. Women, in particular, are subject to institutional bias and structural exclusion. My awareness of this matrix of oppression, and the complexity of the humiliating structures that support it, motivate me to represent a world brutalised by capitalism, sexism and racism.”

CEO Melanie Noden said it is the highest honour to have Saba as an Ambassador. “We have known her since she first arrived in Australia and her achievements and compassion make it a privilege to have her join us in this role. Saba has been able to share, not just with us at the Centre but the many people who have met her and heard her speak, the issues and challenges that continue to be faced by the vulnerable people around the world.”

Thomas Keneally AO

Tom is one of Australia’s most treasured and successful authors.

An Australian Living Treasure, Tom is best known for his Booker Prize winning novel Schindler’s Ark, later adapted to Steven Spielberg’s Schlindler’s List which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. He has also been shortlisted three more times for the Booker, won the Miles Franklin Award, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award and the Helmerich Award.

Tom recently co-authored the book A CountryToo Far, the landmark anthology by 27 of Australia’s finest writers which confirms that experience of seeking asylum – the journey’s of escape from death, starvation, poverty or terror to an imagined paradise – is part of the Australian mindset and deeply embedded in our culture.

Tom has a passionate commitment and deep understanding of why people come to our country seeking safety and protection.

“This is the greatest test of our national honour and honesty – the way we welcome or punish the asylum seeker. The regime of punishment must end and the era of fraternity must begin, and if I can in any way help the transition, I would be honoured.”

Thomas Keneally. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe

Wendy Sharpe

Wendy Sharpe is one of Australia’s most awarded artists.

She has won many major national awards, scholarships and prizes including The Archibald Prize, The Sulman Prize and The Portia Geach Memorial Award (twice).

Major commissions include the olympic pool size mural for Cook and Phillip Park Aquatic Centre, Sydney; Australian Official Artist to East Timor 1999 (the 1st woman since WW2) by the Australian War Memorial, and many others. Wendy has also been a member of the Council of the Australian War Memorial for eight years.

She has been awarded many international artist residencies including two in Paris, one in Egypt and two in Antarctica. She is a regular finalist in the Archibald, Sulman, Wynne and Dobell Prizes and was a finalist in the 2014 Archibald Prize.

She has held over 40 solo exhibitions around Australia and internationally. Recently, Wendy painted 39 portraits of asylum seekers and refugees which formed the ‘Seeking Humanity’ exhibition. This phenomenally successful exhibition made an enormous contribution to the perception of asylum seekers at all levels of society.

Services

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Get along to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras | Queer Thinking. Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th February Carriageworks

Our Casework Manager, Kathryn Clark, will be on an exciting panel called Queer Refugees: Building the Bridges and Bridging the Gaps. She will be highlighting how LGBTIQ and Refugee organisations can better work with people seeking protection on the basis of sexual orientation and / or gender identity.

Our board member, Betty Hounslow will also be speaking on a panel about LGBTIQ movement in Australia. ... See MoreSee Less

FAIR DAY is Mardi Gras’ beloved annual FREE family-friendly carnival of rainbow festivities - featuring a plethora of activities for the young and old, the tame and the bold!
Kick off your heels and enjoy a picnic with friends and family, or kick up your heels at the dance tent. See an amazing array of performers on the Main Stage, get amongst it in the Sports Village, sample the food stalls and admire the drag queens in all corners of the park.
There's something for everyone at Fair Day, even our fur babies are a part of the action. Bring your most fabulous dog down to Fair Day to strut their stuff at our world-famous Doggywood competition.
See the schedule of entertainment here: www.mardigras.org.au/schedule
Whoever you are, Fair Day is the must-do event of the year. For 2018's huge 40th anniverary Mardi Gras season we're back in Victoria Park. See you there!
Download a map of the park here: www.mardigras.org.au/images/uploads/images/FAIR%20DAY%20A4_FairDay_Map.jpg
And here's our Fair Day FAQ's: www.mardigras.org.au/fair-day-faq
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PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANZ

ASC Chair, Claire Petre has today announced and warmly welcomes the appointment of Marina Brizar to the ASC board.

Marina arrived to Australia as a refugee from the Former Yugoslavia. Her personal experience compelled her to study a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, from where she graduated in 2012. She currently holds the position of Head of Corporate and Private Clients at Playfair Visa & Migration Services, where she practices as a Solicitor and Registered Migration Agent. Together with her corporate experience, Marina has acted on cases in human trafficking with Anti-Slavery Australia, and on behalf of people seeking asylum in Australia and offshore. Quite separately from her professional work, Marina co-founded the Aspire Motivate Believe Foundation which assists students from an asylum seeker/ refugee background meet the practical costs associated with pursuing their education. Marina was named the 2015 Young Migration Lawyer of the Year; the 2015 Woman Lawyer of the Year – Up Coming; and a “Woman of Influence” 2016. ... See MoreSee Less

Frances Rush gave a presentation with members of NAPSA (NSW Alliance for People Seeking Asylum) on the Humanitarian Hub at the Refugee Alternatives Conference in Melbourne today: "We talked about the importance of collaboration, respect and dignity."Frances RushCEO, Asylum Seekers Centre ... See MoreSee Less